A number of prior art reciprocating slat conveyors are discussed in the "Background Art" section of my co-pending application Ser. No. 09/322,721, filed May 28, 1999 and entitled "Drive Beam To Drive Unit Connections." In the prior art connections, it is common to connect a first connector member to a lower part of each drive beam and to provide the first such connector member with a downwardly opening recess. A second connector member is provided below the first connector member. The second connector member includes an upwardly opening recess that confronts the downwardly opening recess in the first connector member. The movable portion of the drive, e.g. the drive rod, is received within the confronting recesses. Bolts extend through openings in the second connector member and thread into threaded openings in the first connector member, for connecting the two connector members together, with the movable portion of the drive units secured between the two connector members. Each drive beam is positioned above the movable portions of the drive units to which it is not connected. As a result, there is no contact between each drive beam and the drive units to which it is not connected.
It is desirable to position the thrust centers of the drive units as close to the plane of the conveyor slats as is possible. An object of this invention is to provide a system for connecting the transverse drive beams to the drive units in a way that moves the longitudinal center or thrust lines of the drive units upwardly into positions that are closer to the conveyor slats than they are in the prior art assemblies.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a system of bearings that guide the transverse drive beams for movement relatively along the movable portions of the drive units to which they are not connected.
A further object of the invention is to brace each transverse drive beam against yaw, pitch and roll movement by use of the drive units to which the drive beam is not connected.